Lights from passing traffic on Magdalen Bridge at night
Magdalen Bridge
(Image credit: Henry Lee / Graduate Photography Competition)

UNIQ+ criminal convictions policy

The information below is intended for those who have been offered a place on the UNIQ+ Research Internships at the University of Oxford in 2024.

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will request information about relevant, unspent criminal convictions after an offer has been made for a place on the UNIQ+ Research Internships at Oxford. This will enable us to take appropriate steps to facilitate effective support and/or assess whether a prospective student poses an unacceptable risk to students and staff.

The University has adopted a policy for any case where an offer-holder for a place on UNIQ+ has a relevant, unspent criminal conviction which has either been declared by an applicant to the University or which has otherwise come to the University’s attention (such as where information is disclosed by a third party).

What has to be declared?

The University will only ask about relevant, unspent criminal convictions. 'Relevant' convictions are:

  • any kind of violence including (but not limited to) threatening behaviour, offences concerning the intention to harm or offences which resulted in actual bodily harm;
  • offences listed in the Sex Offences Act 2003;
  • the unlawful supply of controlled drugs or substances where the conviction concerns commercial drug dealing or trafficking;
  • offences involving firearms;
  • offences involving arson; and
  • offences listed in the Terrorism Act 2006.

Convictions that are 'spent' (as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974) or will be spent at the point of starting UNIQ+ do not need to be declared. If you are uncertain as to whether your conviction is spent, please seek independent advice.

Process for handling cases of declared relevant convictions

If you have declared a criminal conviction, the Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment will contact you to seek further information on the conviction and to explain the procedure to you. It may also be necessary to approach third parties in order to request additional information (for example referees or your probation officer). Your permission will always be obtained before approaching such third parties.

Criminal Conviction Panel

The Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment will assess whether the details of any relevant, unspent offence should be considered by a Criminal Conviction Panel (CCP), comprising the Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment, the Director of Student Welfare and Support Services, a representative from the academic department hosting the applicant, and, where applicable, a representative from the college. In the event that a college has not yet been determined (where this applies), the recommendation of the CCP will be considered by a college representative when the college accommodating the applicant is known, and the information provided to the CCP shared with the college, as necessary. A representative of Legal Services will be available to provide advice to the CCP.

The CCP will assess, in light of the documentation gathered by the Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment, whether the declared conviction(s) is/are such that the applicant ought not to be admitted to UNIQ+, or whether special measures ought to be put in place to facilitate effective support for the applicant and/or to protect other students and staff from perceived risk.

The CCP will reach a decision on behalf of the University and will convey this decision to the academic department. Where relevant, it will also issue this decision as a recommendation to the college. If the college requires further information that was not available to the CCP before accepting the recommendation of the CCP, the Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment will contact the applicant to obtain this information and seek their consent to share it with the college.

Information on the criminal conviction will be gathered and a decision reached by the CCP as promptly as possible, to ensure that delays to the UNIQ+ admissions process are minimised.
The following factors are among those that are likely to be taken into account by the CCP:

  • the nature of the offence(s);
  • the time that has passed since the offence was committed;
  • any additional information provided by other sources, such as the Probation Service, Social Services or senior prison officers, in the form of independent references or reports; and
  • if more than one offence was committed, the number of offences and whether each was a separate offence or part of a series of similar offences.

One of the following decisions will be made by the CCP:

  • To require further information from the applicant or a third party;
  • To confirm that the applicant has satisfied the criminal convictions process with no further conditions relating to the criminal conviction. In such cases the Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment will advise the applicant accordingly;
  • To confirm that the applicant has satisfied the criminal convictions process but that further measures are imposed should the applicant take up their place on UNIQ+, for example specific support for the applicant, restrictions to accommodation, etc. In such cases the Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment will contact the applicant to outline the additional conditions set by the CCP; or
  • To withdraw the offer. In this case the Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment will contact the applicant to inform them of the decision.

In rare cases, following risk/safeguarding assessment by the Criminal Convictions Panel (CCP), it is possible no college will be able to accommodate an applicant, in which event alternative arrangements will need to be considered. If alternative arrangements cannot be made, the offer may need to be withdrawn. 

The reasons for the decision will be recorded by the Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment who will chair the CCP. The CCP will determine who, if anyone, within the University and/or the college (where applicable) should be provided with details of the conviction in order to facilitate effective support for the applicant and/or to protect other students and staff from perceived risk.

Record retention

The Director of Graduate Admissions will keep a record of all cases dealt with in accordance with the University's postgraduate applicant privacy policy and data retention schedules (Admissions data can be found within the Student Records retention policy). This record will ensure that any decision can be verified, to show that procedures have been correctly followed and to allow any feedback to the applicant if required. All records and correspondence relating to an applicant declaring a relevant criminal conviction will be securely stored in accordance with the University's data protection policy.

If a criminal conviction is declared and the applicant joins UNIQ+, all records and correspondence relating to the application and supporting materials will form part of the student's personal record and will be kept in the same way as all other student records. However, any information and correspondence relating to the applicant's conviction will be stored separately and securely.

If a criminal conviction is declared and the applicant does not join UNIQ+, all paper documents will be securely destroyed. The Director of Graduate Admissions will keep a copy of the information relating to the conviction and this will be securely stored for a period of one year after the admissions cycle has ended, at which point all electronic and paper files will be deleted. See the University's postgraduate applicant privacy policy and data retention schedules (Admissions data can be found within the Student Records retention policy)for more information.

Contact details

If you are an applicant who has been asked to provide information about any relevant, unspent criminal convictions and you have any concerns or queries relating to process or whether the conviction is relevant, you can contact the Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment confidentially at [email protected].

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